Three ways to value your stamps and coins

The latest 18th edition of the Renniks Stamps of Australia Catalogue provides the most up-to-date market value guide. Cross-check the values with the following considerations.

Condition

• Mint (Unused): Mint Never Hinged (MNH) stamps hold a higher value in the pre-decimal era. Mint stamps that have been hinged (MH) are worth significantly less, along with markedly, reduced resale potential.
• Used (Postmarked): Light, unobtrusive postmarks on used stamps are collectable. Heavy, unattractive cancellations greatly diminish the value and are usually undesirable.
• Physical Damage – Creases, missing perforations, tears, or stains, etc, drastically lower the value often making the stamp unsaleable.

Scarcity
Very few stamps are truly scarce or rare, most of which date back to before the 1940s. The same applies to stamps from other countries. Typically, such stamps are only found in collections assembled by advanced collectors who have acquired scarce items through professional stamp dealers and auctions. Such collections are focused, assembled diligently over several years, and methodically housed in quality albums.

Decimal Era Stamps
We receive many enquiries regarding the saleability of stamps from the late 1970s to the 1990s, particularly in large quantities, including sheets. Unfortunately, due to speculation through that era, most items from this timeframe have a resale value lower than their original cost because of the excessively large quantities purchased. Inadvertently, the values of the Annual Year Collection albums were implicated too.

Our advice if your collection predominately beholds mint issues from this era is:

• If selling single mint stamps/sets, blocks, or the Annual Year albums, consider a private sale to a collector at face value because most dealers are well stocked. We advise you endeavour to sell as a collection or break it down into lots such as mint stamp collection / blocks collection / stamp packs / annual year album collection, etc;
• For sheet stock and large collections, stamp dealers may offer you 60 to 80% of face value. We're aware of offers as low as 30 to 40%, but we recommend holding firm and exploring other options.

By the turn of the millennium in 2000, the speculative market for modern issues had finally come to a halt - reality and common sense had come to bear. From that point, quantities purchased by the market were more in line with prevailing collector demand, which has helped elevate potential resale values.

Furthermore, the 2008/9 Global Financial Crisis marked another turning point as many were forced to reassess their discretionary spending, including stamp dealers.

It’s now clear that stamps issued in the last 15 years are notably scarcer than most from the preceding 60 to 75 years. However, current market values - including those listed in the Stamps of Australia catalogue - have yet to reflect this development.

If you're considering selling material from this later period and don't necessarily need the funds, it’s best to hold. If you must sell, ensure you at least get your money back.

The Renniks Coin and Banknote Catalogue is a comprehensive guide to market values. Consider the following as additional reference:

Pre-decimal
Pre-decimal Australian coins are collected and valued based on scarcity and condition, classified as Uncirculated (UNC), Extremely Fine (EF), Very Fine (VF), Fine (F), and average condition. For the layman, accurately grading a coin’s condition is inherently challenging as long-term experience is certainly required. However, since most coins are relatively common, grading only becomes significant if the coin is scarce or rare by date, or if it’s a common-date issue from before the 1930s in near-new condition (EF to UNC).

What to look for:
Key dates within the range of Pre-decimal coins include:

• Halfpennies – 1915 and 1923. The 1939 ½d with a Kangaroo design is semi-scarce.
• Pennies – 1925, 1930, 1946. Note: The 1930 Penny is rare - beware of forgeries. Also, in recent years, high-quality reproductions have been produced and sold from China. These are initially marketed as replicas at a modest cost, but some later surface as 'genuine' in resale. Stay vigilant.
• Threepences – 1915
• Sixpences – 1912, 1918, 1935
• Shillings – 1915, 1921, 1933
• Two Shillings / Florins - 1932, 1933, and the 1934/35 Victoria Centenary commemorative coin featuring a man riding a horse.
• Crowns – 1938.

- these coins are all from the earlier years - if they’re too worn, their premium collector value becomes negligible - essentially, they need to be in fine condition or better. Most other years remain common and are often purchased in bulk.
Note: Do not clean any coins.

Decimals, 1966 onwards:
For decimal coins, only those in uncirculated condition (UNC/New) hold some premium collector value above their face value. Mintages for coins issued into general circulation typically range from over two million to tens of millions, so the premiums are relatively modest.

This includes special edition 20c, 50c, and $1 coins, which most dealers already hold in ample supply and generally aren’t looking to buy. (Note: absurd prices for these often appear on eBay—search more broadly for realistic values.)

The $2 coloured coins are the latest fad in collecting and do attract some interest, but keep in mind that, on average, around 2 million of each design were released.

The 1966 round silver 50c coin (36 million issued) remains popular with silver speculators, as do Perth Mint silver bullion coins. These are typically bought and sold based on current bullion rates.

We frequently receive calls from people with a jar full of 1c and 2c coins which were withdrawn from circulation in 1990. Most of us weren’t bothering to use them leading up to that time and tucked them away in a bottom drawer. Hence, they are and will remain common. Only the 1968 1c and 2c coins were low-mintage years and retail for a few dollars in circulated condition.
As for the missing 'SD' initials (Stuart Devlin – designer) on the frilled-neck lizard side of the 2c coin across various years, this is often an overstated and overvalued 'variant' that is reasonably easy to find. It's not necessarily an error - more likely, it's due to a worn or grease-filled die, which causes the detail to be absent from the strike. Alternatively, the initials may have simply worn away through circulation. They can also be easily removed.

Error Coins:
Note: These are coins that have been mis-struck during the minting process which includes errors such as off-centre strikes, double strikes, die cracks, cuds, upsets, etc.

We receive many enquiries about these coins, but be cautious - many of those offered or discussed are either misrepresented or purely imaginary. Quite often, the coins in question are simply damaged post-mint (not true minting errors) or have been deliberately altered.

Of note;

• Regarding the 1988 & 1989 $2 "Double HH" coin - it is not an error! - all $2 coins from these two years (190 million in total) featured the ‘HH’ initials of designer Horst Hahne. From 1990 onward, the initials were removed.
• The 2000 $1 ‘Mule’ Coin Error - must have a sharply, distinct double rim on the head side (check against another regular coin to be sure).
• The 2000 Millennium 50c "incused Union Jack flag" variety is rare but difficult to describe and illustrate. Essentially, focus on the main cross in the middle of the Union Jack - it has to be incused or recessed, not slightly raised as in the regular issue. Be wary of fakes - some have attempted to etch or engrave regular coins to mimic the incused look.
• The 1966 20c 'Wavy Baseline' variety is rare, but many people are unsure of what it really looks like. Almost every example we are presented is not the actual variant. Below is a diagram illustrating the variation - notice it is the upper-part of the baseline of '2' - we've seen examples where this aspect has been fraudulently altered.

In the decimal era, both paper and modern polymer (plastic) notes must be in uncirculated condition (UNC/New) to hold premium collector value. The last editions of paper notes (mid-1980s to 1990s) remain reasonably common because not just collectors kept them, the general public at large did so too.

We receive numerous enquiries, particularly about $1 and $2 notes. The final editions of these notes are very common and often available in serial number sequences of 10 up to bundles of 100. They can be identified by the two signatures on one side: Johnston and Stone for the $1 note, and Johnston and Fraser for the $2 note.

Decimal Banknotes from the late 1960s to mid-1970s, however, do command notable premiums when in uncirculated (UNC/New) condition. These are distinguished by the inscription 'Commonwealth of Australia' across the top of the note. Those that have been in general circulation command only modest premiums, if at all.

Much the same applies to the old Pre-decimal Ten Shilling and One Pound notes. Five Pound and Ten Pound notes are less common - again, their value depends on their condition which needs to be viewed to be determined.

Polymer Notes:
There is a growing number of new collectors focused on acquiring 'first and last prefixes' of Australia’s modern polymer series. To hold any premium value, these notes must be in uncirculated condition too. Any kinks or visual blemishes almost always disqualify them from serious collector interest.

One might check with a library for catalogues on international stamps and coins.

In most cases - much like Australian stamps and coins - the majority of world issues are relatively common, even those over a century old.

General world stamp collections, housed in one or more volumes containing anywhere from 10 to 100 examples of those various countries’ stamps, usually indicates an amateur-level, enthusiast’s collection.

The likelihood of any scarce items being present is very slim - even if it’s Grandad’s collection. Stamps stored in packets, envelopes, or tins are another indicative sign of a general, random accumulation. World coin collections can usually be viewed in a similar light.

The general rule-of-thumb is that valuable collections are almost always known to be so - not just by the serious collector, but by their family as well.

Unfortunately, over the past couple of years, we have been inundated with enquiries from folk who, after searching eBay or Google listings, believe they have discovered that some of their stamps and coins are "extremely rare and valuable". However, out of 100 enquiries subsequently received, we unfortunately and regrettably have to inform 95 of them that their items hold little to no value.

This remains an ongoing issue - a frustrating nuisance and a persistent dilemma in the marketplace. Many find it difficult to understand and accept, especially as fake listings continue to appear unchecked. Unfortunately, there seems to be no effective enforcement, allowing these shenanigans to carry on unabated.

Satisfy your curiosity further by trying this:

1. Search: Enter the item details in the Search bar at the top: Year / Denomination / Description / Condition. A couple of examples: 1942 2½d Red King George VI stamp Used; 1977 50c Queen's Silver Jubilee coin UNC.
2. Filter: Locate and click on "Sold items" in the ‘Filter options’ down the left side of the listings to then see actual sales results. In so doing, you should find realistic market values.

Professional Dealers' Websites:
These can be identified by professionally well-presented sites that offer a comprehensive range of material, reliable communication, services, and customer support.

Note: When considering listings on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Gumtree, group forums, or blogs, we strongly recommend cross-checking values using the information provided.

We don’t offer phone or email valuations. All of our assessments are done in-house at our London Court Arcade premises. For collections that are bulky, we suggest you utilize a suitcase on wheels.

Appraisal hours:
Weekdays – 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturdays – 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

More than often, our service is free-of-charge. This is certainly the case in the event we make a purchase. We only charge a fee when such is warranted by virtue of collections being recognised to be of real commercial value requiring more time to assess. The same applies for insurance, estate, and settlement valuations. Upon their presentation, we will be able to quote a fee.

As a working retail business, we prioritise our regular customers over casual walk-in appraisals. As such, we’re unable to offer appointments - please allow time when planning your visit.